1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having an improved printing medium feeding path.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus that prints a black and white image or a color image on a printing medium, e.g., paper, according to an image signal, for example, a laser printer, an ink-jet printer, a copying machine, a multi-function printer, a fax machine, etc. An image forming apparatus is classified as an electrophotographic type in which a beam is scanned to a photosensitive body to form an electrostatic latent image, a developer is supplied to the electrostatic latent image to form a visible image, and the visible image is transferred onto a printing medium, or an ink-jet type in which a liquid type ink is ejected onto a surface of a printing medium according to an image signal.
An image forming apparatus generally includes a printing medium feeding unit to supply a printing medium, a printing unit to print letters or pictures on the printing medium supplied from the printing medium feeding unit, and a printing medium discharge unit to discharge the printed printing medium. In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the printing unit includes a photosensitive body, an exposure unit to irradiate light to the photosensitive body, a developing unit to supply a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body to form a visible image, a transfer unit to transfer the visible image formed on the photosensitive body onto the printing medium, and a fusing unit to fuse the visible image to the printing medium by applying heat and pressure to the printing medium. In an ink-jet image forming apparatus, the printing unit includes a print head to eject an ink onto the surface of the printing medium according to an image signal.
In the image forming apparatus as structured above, a shape of a feeding path of a printing medium is determined dependent on structures of the printing medium feeding unit, the printing unit and the printing medium discharge unit and arrangement of components of the respective units. The printing medium feeding path of the image forming apparatus is generally shaped in an L-type, a C-type, an S-type, or the like. The image forming apparatus can be classified as a front-in-front-out (FIFO) type or a front-in-side-out (FISO) type according to supplying and discharging directions of the printing medium.
The structures and arrangement of the respective devices are important factors in determining a shape of the printing medium feeding path and the printing medium supplying and discharging directions. However, the convenience in use related to replenishment of the printing medium and the drawing out of the printed printing medium also should be considered.
As an example of the conventional image forming apparatus, U.S. Patent Publication No. US2004/0196512A1 (published on Oct. 7, 2004) discloses a multi-function printer having a C-type printing medium feeding path. The disclosed conventional image forming apparatus includes an ink-jet type printing module provided in a housing, and a scanning module provided at an upper portion of the housing. A printing medium feeding cassette, in which the printing medium is loaded, is mounted to a front lower portion of the housing. A printing medium discharge tray, to which the printed printing medium is discharged, is mounted above the printing medium feeding cassette.
The above-structured image forming apparatus is a FIFO type image forming apparatus, in which the printing medium is picked up rearward from the printing medium feeding cassette, is printed while being fed forward, and is discharged to the printing medium discharge tray mounted to the front portion of the housing. Accordingly, the above conventional image forming apparatus allows the replenishment and the drawing out of the printing medium to be easily achieved.
However, the above conventional image forming apparatus is configured such that the printed printing medium is discharged to the printing medium discharge tray while a printed surface of the printing medium is directed upward. Therefore, when plural sheets of printing media are printed, the printed pages are arranged in a reverse order, which gives a user inconvenience of arranging the printed pages in a correct order.